Peakman, Julie - Mighty Lewd Books, The Development of Pornography in 18th Century England (Palgrave, 2003)

This is a book about the development of pornographic literature and an explor-

ation of a great diversity of other sexually-oriented printed matter, which circu-

lated in eighteenth-century Britain. Some erotica revelled in innuendoes and

allusive terminology as a means of continuing a discourse on and around sex,

particularly in the public arena. Other, more explicit material was directed at the

private consumer; this would be the beginnings of what we would now recognise

as ‘pornography’. I have looked at both ends of the spectrum and have concen-

trated on its progress, its major elements, and how both this amatory material

and ‘mighty lewde’ works fitted into a broader scheme of the world. I have also

looked more specifically at the themes that would be taken up in this material

and the sources of these themes.

Ribald poems, salacious prints, sensational trial reports, medical advice manuals,

religious attacks, scandal sheets, racy memoirs and obscene fictional tales were

printed and dispersed through booksellers and hawkers throughout the main towns

and cities. This material ranged from light-hearted lascivious humour to hard-core

graphic descriptions of sexual activities, but, more importantly, it carried contem-

porary attitudes to certain subjects, such as science and religion.

The eighteenth-century world was one of rapid change. Ancient views were

being questioned and new ideas taking their place. Science was developing in

leaps and bounds. Advances in natural philosophy, medical experiments and

exploration of foreign continents all led to an expansion of the world-view, the

scientific revolution having a profound effect on how people saw themselves and

life around them. Certain new findings were pivotal in their influence on bawdy

material, which took up new scientific terminology and satirised recent experi-

ments. However, within erotica, a process of assimilation and elimination of par-

ticular issues was evident. Ideas were either incorporated or rejected within the

context of erotic material against a backdrop of contemporary beliefs and prac-

tices, as seen in oral traditions, folklore and everyday activities.